Published: August 24, 2008 08:57 pm      

Progress continues on new McDowell schools

WELCH — Students are returning to school Tuesday in McDowell County against the backdrop of another year of school construction.

As youngsters return to the classroom, construction will continue throughout the fall and winter on a new Bradshaw Elementary, and a new Big Creek-Iaeger High School project. Both of the new schools are being built along a 17-acre educational campus in the Bradshaw community.

“Actually by this time next year we will be opening Bradshaw Elementary as planned, and then the high school will come along probably in the spring of 2010,” School Superintendent Suzette Cook said. “So I don’t expect to move in until then.”

Cook said the school system lost 95 students last year, and has historically lost students for the past decade.

“What we will look like next week is anyone’s guess,” she said. “But we had one school last fall where the numbers were up and that was Welch Elementary. So we will watch that and see what happens.”

Cook said teachers and staff returned last Thursday, and everyone is now ready for the return of students. Cook said officials are anticipating a great 2008-2009 school year.

“We are moving along with the state’s 21st century initiative,” Cook said. “And of course the state is talking about new content standards and objectives, and we are moving toward as much integration in the classroom as we can. So kids will see that depending upon where they are sporadically or quite a bit.”

Cook said the county’s pre-kindergarten program also will begin as normal. While the state had questions concerning the pre-kindergarten program in 20 different school systems, everything has been resolved for McDowell County, Cook said.

– Contact Charles Owens at cowens@bdtonline.com